Whether you are just starting out on your journey as a piano teacher or have been developing your career for many years, our tutors have been carefully selected to inspire you and your teaching, to boost your confidence as a musician, a pianist and a teacher, and to strengthen your teaching toolkit. We want to share the pioneering work of our Principal Tutors with you and help you see your teaching and performing skills grow, alongside your pupils’ increased enjoyment, whilst making life-long friends.

DR SALLY CATHCART, Director

As PTC Course Director, Sally Cathcart brings her 22 years of experience as a PTC Tutor to lead the organisation into a new period of development,
alongside her colleague, International Director Lucinda Mackworth-Young.

Sally is well-known globally for her innovative, high-quality, research-based approach to piano teaching. In 2015, Sally co-founded The Curious Piano Teachers to help establish a new way of thinking about piano teaching and piano teachers.

She has many years of teaching experience both as a piano teacher and as a classroom music teacher. After her worldwide travels as a Winston Churchill Fellow, Sally founded the Oxford Piano Group as vibrant, collaborative place for pianists and teachers to meet, discuss and share experiences. Read more..

Tutors

The Piano Teachers’ Course is led by Director, Sally Cathcart and International Director, Lucinda Mackworth-Young, supported by a team of expert Principal Tutors: Ilga Pitkevica, Jill Morton, Kris Worsley and Joanna Garcia. Other specialist guest tutors are also engaged when required, including Beate Toyka who was a Principal Tutor for many years, Graham Fitch, founder of Practising the Piano, Andrew Davidson for Dalcroze, Penelope Roskell, author of The Complete Pianist and Chair of EPTA UK and Richard Michael for jazz piano.

LUCINDA MACKWORTH-YOUNG, International Director

Lucinda directed The Piano Teachers' Course UK 2007-2020, and now, as International Director, continues to be closely associated with the UK course while also developing the PTC internationally, arranging and giving PTC lectures, workshops and tutorials to help inspire and develop piano teaching across the globe. Projects have included work in Portugal, Scandinavia, Canada, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Australia and New Zealand.

Well-known for her inspiring, refreshing and practical approach, over the past four decades Lucinda has pioneered Practical Psychology for Musicians, Dance for Musicians and a system for learning to Play by Ear and Improvise in Simple Steps. Read more...

ILGA PITKEVICA, Cert PTC Course Lead

Ilga lectures extensively around the UK and Latvia on piano teaching, and on the history and teaching methods of the Russian Piano School, on which her own rigourous training was based. She also often organises masterclasses and concerts in Cambridge. These have included the annual Cambridge Piano Weekends, organised jointly with Gonville and Caius College for several years. Read more...

JILL MORTON, Foundation Course Lead

Jill joined The PTC UK in 2022, bringing with her a wealth of experience from her varied career. In 2024 her PTC role was expanded to include leading Fast-Track Teaching Diploma courses and, more recently The Foundation Piano Teachers Course for newer piano teachers or those exploring multi-sensory approaches to piano teaching for the first time. Not only is she a highly successful soloist and chamber musician but she has taught extensively, given masterclasses in specialist music schools and is also respected as an adjudicator. Her skills as a teacher and lecturer and her insight into playing and performing, make her a valuable member of our team.

DR KRIS WORSLEY, PTC Principal Tutor, Safeguarding Lead

Kris also joined the team in 2022, and as well as being a pianist, he is a widely published music lecturer and researcher, with specialisms in musicianship and ear training, as well as European music from the late 17th to early 19th centuries and historical performance practice. He teaches at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and leads courses in music history and analysis at the Royal Northern College of Music. In addition to his skills as a pianist, teacher and lecturer Kris is an award-winning wildlife photographer and has become the official photographer for The PTC UK. Kris has taught and lectured extensively at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, but has always maintained a core practice working with children, including those with additional needs and from disadvantaged backgrounds.

JOANNA GARCIA, PTC Principal Tutor

Joanna joined the team in 2025. She holds a First Class Bachelor of Music degree from Manchester University and a postgraduate diploma and the prestigious PPRNCM from the Royal Northern College of Music. Following her Junior Fellowship, she became staff pianist at the RNCM and at Chetham’s School of Music before spending several years in primary and secondary education as a teacher and deputy head. Joanna is now director of the Joanna García Piano School, and has a particular interest in teaching piano teachers and adults who are striving to overcome performance anxieties. She is also an adjudicator, a collaborative pianist, an avid content creator, Vocal Director at the EYSM, and a freelance staff pianist at the RNCM.